Soros, Steyer, Bloomberg Donate Heavily to Super PACs in July

Super PAC spending heated up in July in advance of the fall midterm elections, with Democrats dominating the list of mega-donors, including hedge fund manager turned climate-change activist Tom Steyer and financier George Soros.

Millionaire former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, an independent, contributed $2 million to a liberal super PAC.

Citing disclosure reports to the Federal Election Committee filed this week, the National Journal also reported hedge-fund manager Paul Singer was the biggest super PAC donor on the Republican side, noting more big conservative donations go to nonprofits that don't have to disclose their donors.

Super PACs may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, associations, and individuals – and spend it to advocate for or against political candidates. But unlike traditional political action committees, they can't donate money directly to candidates.

The National Journal said Steyer reported giving $7.5 million to his own group, NextGen Climate, which in turn gave $500,000 to Senate Majority PAC, and $150,000 to environmentalist the League of Conservation Voters Victory Fund.

Soros reported giving $500,000 to House Majority PAC – which aims to help Democrats win seats in the House – and the League of Conservation Voters Victory Fund; his daughter, Andrea Soros Colombel, gave $250,000 to Planned Parenthood Votes, the National Journal reported.

Bloomberg, who contributes to his own super PAC focused on gun-control issues, donated $2 million to Women Vote!, which the National Journal reported is the largest contribution the Emily's List super PAC has ever gotten.

Singer, the founder of Elliott Management, shelled out $750,000 to the conservative super PAC Ending Spending Action Fund, and $100,000 to American Crossroads.

His latest donations bring his contributions this midterm voting cycle to $1.4 million for Ending Spending and $1.35 million to Crossroads, the National Journal reported.

Jay Bergman, owner of Illinois-based Petco Petroleum, also donated to American Crossroads with a $500,000 check, the National Journal reports.

Other July big-spenders, the National Journal reported, included Houston, Texas, lawyer Amber Mostyn, who gave $250,000 to the Planned Parenthood super PAC, matching the quarter-million she gave the committee in 2013; and Univision owner Haim Saban, who gave $250,000 to Senate Majority PAC, as did Google Chairman Eric Schmidt.

Meanwhile, this week's filings also showed the top 20 committees by the totals they raised – and spent – in July, the nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation reports.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised some $11.5 million in July to lead the pack, while the Republican National Committee was the top July spender at $8.9 million, according to the foundation.

Super PAC spending heated up in July in advance of the fall midterm elections, with Democrats dominating the list of mega-donors, including hedge fund manager turned climate change activist Tom Steyer, financier George Soros, and billionaire ex-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.